Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Not long ago, I was reading in one of my favorite go-to books on hospitality. I'm not sure why, but this idea and suggestion had never caught my attention before.

It did this time.

This idea of "mission kindness". The book suggested pulling out your pocket calendar and penciling in a day to be intentional; acting out and implementing acts of kindness'... getting your children involved...and just to keep it simple. But doing "something" to be thoughtful and to make someone's day. Besides, having good intentions but then never doing anything about it - is simply a recipe of "bad taste" and a not-so-good example... especially if you have little ones looking up to you.

Maybe it's with just a loaf of fresh home baked bread. A juicy watermelon. A tall Iced Coffee! And when they ask Why? You just answer... "just because".

I want to tell you something that makes me happy. Aubrey (my four year old) and I have only started doing this recently and so there has not been a whole lot of experience under our belt, as of yet. But, I've been baking this certain kind of bread and keeping one loaf for ourselves and giving the other away. She loves to help...

It's fun watching the unsuspecting receive this gift... as they are handed a warm loaf of homemade bread.

Here is the recipe. I recently discovered this one from a friend of mine - via blogging - Faye Henry. Faye blogs at The Blessed Hearth. I find her to be one of my absolute favorites... you've got to go meet her.
Tell her I say "hello!" and that I sent you...".

And now, so is this recipe. And this has quickly become one of my favorites, as well. I told my daughter, "I think making this bread is like the easiest thing I've done all day." It's the truth...

Add two cups of flour and stir well.. Then add the other 2 cups of flour and salt and mix well with a wood spoon..

Cover with a damp tea towel and rise for an hour or until doubled..

Then with oiled hands divide dough into two parts or (make just one bread pan size) and form into buns ...

Sprinkle top with sea salt and chopped rosemary.(opt)

**UPDATED to add: Let bread rise a second time.

Bake in an 375 degree oven for 30 - 35 minutes

Just to let you know that I usually turn this into just one loaf and put it in a good size sprayed bread pan or in a pie pan..

And leave out the rosemary and salt as hubby likes it plain..

You can substitute the flour with part wholewheat or 12 grain if desired.

~~~
As you can see. I didn't do the rosemary. I topped mine with Oats, instead..

Very yummy!

Another Update: The last time I made this... I tried using 3 cups of Bread Flour, and one cup of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. I also switched out the sugar with a Tablespoon of Honey.Delicious variation, in my opinion.
***
So, this Mission Kindness thing... is not a mission impossible. It is something that all can do.

I've been reading to the kids at night a Bible Devotional. This week were camping out at a lesson taken from the verse in Matthew 7. Verse 12.

It is the Golden Rule.

"Do unto others what you would have them do to you."

Mission Kindness just so happens to go along with this verse and it goes far beyond any giving of bread...
Trust me. As a Mom, even I'm still learning this one...

5 comments:

Bevy~ Beautiful! I am so excited to try this bread. I saw it first thing this morning and it made me swoony! I have a question though...Does it have a second rise before it goes in the oven? I'm going to make this tonight for our supper.

You know what, Kristin. I've done it both ways. The first time I left it rise a second time - just because my gut told me to. The second time I didn't do it - because that is the way the recipe was written. I felt it worked out okay without the second rise. Just a bit more denser...

I think the next time I will just let it rise longer the first time around - just to see what happens. I guess I would say - if you have time to let it rise before you bake it... go ahead. It's not going to hurt it...

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and thanks to Faye for this recipe. Maybe she'll weigh in on this question if she sees it. ;)

What a good way to teach Aubrey the joy of giving to others. It really is a joy. I make a bread similar to this, but I am going to try yours. I love rosemary bread so will be adding it to mine. But oats on the top sounds good also.

Hi Bevy.. I am sorry I am late reading your post but loved it.. Also, your comments.. I need to go check the recipe because I always rise it the second time.. When I wrote it I had just tried it but now (it must be a year later) I have made it so many different ways that I had forgotten about the second rise.. I will go and fix that right away.. I love your missions plan and hope to use it for my group (if that is ok with you) Thanks dear heart.. xo

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"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after." ~ A.M.L.

Hello, I'm glad you're here. This is where I hope you can pull up a chair and stay for awhile. Perhaps pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea and savor this moment for you! I would love to hear if you did.. let me know via your thoughts and comments. My prayer is that you were made to feel right at home. Please come back again, anytime!

Hello again...
I, Bevy, am a wife to one amazing and hard-working man.
The Mother to three lovely and lively blessings!
A sister. A friend. A homemaker.
Although I fail miserably...I do desire to be that Proverbs 31 woman. One whose heart and home is full of WELCOME and that hosts a Spirit of Hospitality.
But most importantly, I want to "treasure up and ponder" the gift of my Salvation and to humbly share the blessings of my life with you - my reader.

"All truly wise thoughts have been thought already a thousand times; but to make them really ours we must think them over again honestly, till they take firm root in our personal experience." ~ Wolfgang von Goethe